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Definition Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) - a theory that some parents intentionally cause the breakdown in a child’s relationship with the other parent.
Application in Divorce A theory developed by Dr. Richard Gardner, PAS has been described "as a disturbance in which children are not merely systematically and consciously ’brainwashed’ but also subconsciously and unconsciously ’programmed’ by one parent against the other."

The parental alienation syndrome can be the basis of a marital tort, and some courts have held that PAS is justification for a change in custody.

Questions & Answers
Helpful Tips & Facts
  1. Parents Healing from Divorce
    After a divorce, a major factor in recovery is getting along with the child’s other parent, who is the former spouse. A parent who continues to relive old hurts and injuries harms himself or herself and the children. Anger and guilt drain energy and imagination a divorced person needs to start anew.
Additional Resources
Parental Alienation: Diagnostic Considerations from a Systemic Perspective
Parental alienation is a term coined by many authors to describe a phenomenon that occurs when a child becomes allied with one parent and disparages or rejects the other. Generally, this occurs in cases of high conflict divorce. In extreme cases, the child may refuse to see the rejected parent, who is most often, but not always the non-custodial parent.
Family Wars: The Alienation of Children
The parents of Amy (age 10) and Kevin (age 7) are divorcing after 13 years of marriage. Their father, by temporary stipulation, has moved from the marital home. He is entitled to visit with the children on alternating weekends and one evening, during the week. Soon, the children begin to refuse to go with him.
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